Clasp



Feb.20,'192s. 1,446,058;

n. H. NEILLY. y

' CLASP.

ORIGINAL man m. 25. 1921.

. I MH/ENTOR I W/f/VESSES V A: I D H N51 LIL 5r 6 V/AMWW/Q.

A TTOHNEYS Patented Feb. 20, 1923.

TO W. P. BRI'NTON, ONE-FOURTH TO J. S. BROWN, DOUBLE, ALL OF BRADFORD,PEIfINSYIJVANIA.

DANIEL HOWE NEILLY, or nannronn, PENNSYLVANIA, essrenoa or onn-rounirncLAsr;

A lication-filed March 25, 1921, Serial no. 455,401. jn enewed no mberjs, 19 22, ,se'riarno. 301,166,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL Hown NEILLY, a citizen of the United States,anda resident of Bradford, in 'the countyof Mc- Kean and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inClasps, of which the following is a specification. a The presentinvention relates to an vimprovement in clasps, especially adapted foruse with rifle straps or the like.

The object of the invention is to pro? vide an improved clasp of this.character 1 which is of simple and durable construction, reliable inoperation and easy and inexpensive to manufacture, which automaticallyexerts a powerful gripping or clasping action upon the sections of'therifle strap towmaintain them in desired position, whichis readily andeasily adjustable and is quickly and uniformly effective in any positionto ,which'it may be adjusted. Y 1 Other objects and advantages of theinvention reside in certain novel features of construction, combinationand arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully describedand particularly pointed out in'thelappended claims, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and inwhich;

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, il-

lustrating the clasp in use upon the rifle carried bylthe'plate 11 andthey coacting.

strap, a I I a Flgure 2 is a perspective View of the clasp detached; a A

- Figure 3 -isa perspective view of the a clasp and rifle strap detachedfrom the rifle, illustrating the cooperation between the clasp and therifle strap loop Z encircles the upper armfof the user a above oradjacent the upper portion of the Figure 4 is a detail view of thecoacting AND ONE-FOURTH TO G. i

biceps and the; other endfofithe 'strapfis' connected ,tothe rifle inthe usual manner. The clasp which is designated generally at Crisarranged upon the sections of the strap and has for its function theformation of the loop and the preservation of the loop inthe properposition upon the upper arm of the user.

\ The clasp comprises a frame 1Ov which includes a. plate 11 havingoneend roughened,

as at 12-, and constituting a jaw, andvside flanges 13 extending atrightangles from each side of the plate and preferably formed integraltherewith. A pivotpin 14 islprovided and hasits ends arranged insuitable bearings provided in the side 'flan es of the l frame andthereby constitutesa fu crum for the plate-11. y f f A coacting late 15having a roughened portion 15 constituting a jaw isTarranged 11 and thec'oacting plate 15 short lever o arms which constitutes the jaws of theclasp and long lever arms which function to 0p:

inafter be more fully. described. j

plate "15, respectively, and preferably are formed integral with their vrespective plates." E The curved lips 17 and 18 are con; trolled by theportions of sections 8 and a which constitutes the loop Z as when thestrap is inusethes'e sections areforced or urged outwardly and throw thejaws into powerful gripping or clasping, engagement with the sections ofthestrap thusefl.

feet the clasping action,

erate the jaws in'a manner which. will here- Curved lips, designated anand 18, are. j a

shooters find itfnece'ssary when shooting. from prone pos itionto plac'ea heavy strain .upon the rifle straps. Thesekst'rains varywithdifl'erent ,rifieinen and generally ranges from 40 to 150 pounds. Inorder to do this,

the loop of the rifle strap must encircle the upper armabove or adjacentthe upper porti'on of th'e biceps,.n1ust be :inaintain'ed in Inpractice, expertgriflemen and, sharp this position and must not bepermitted to slide down the arm toward the elbow. The leather keeper andother devices heretofore proposed in the art have not been efiicient tomaintain the loop in proper position and prevent its sliding down towardthe elbow in the manner referred to. With my improved clasp however whenthe loop is positioned on the arm the loops 1'? and 18 are pressedinwardly by the fingers of the righthand of the rifleman and the claspis slid along the sections of the strap until the loop of the propersize is formed, the loop having of course been properly positioned onthe upper arm. Now then, when the strain is placed upon the ride strapit will spread that portion of the sections 8 and s which constitute theloop Z and these portions of sections 3 and 8 act upon the lips 17 and18 to spread them or throw them outwardly away from each other. The lipsbeing formed upon the long arms of the lever throw the short arms whichconstitute the jaws into powerful gripping engagement with the sectionsof the strap thus binding the sections together and the clasp to thesections. It is to be noted moreover that the heavier the strain themore powerful the gripping engagement. with the sections of the strapbound together it is impossible for the loop to slide down the arm as itcannot enlarge and will be maintained in proper position.

In Figure 5 there is shown a modified form of the invention especiallyadapted for use with canvass straps or slings. The canvass straps orslings have hooks riveted to both ends and these prevent the strap beingpassed through the clasp without taking out the rivets. With thesecanvass straps a clasp designated at 20, is employed and includes a pairof resilient arms designated at 21, connected to each other by means ofa curved resilient spring member 22 and terminating at their free endsin hooks or gripping portions 23. In the use of this form of clasp thehooks or gripping portions 23 are utilized to spread the grippingportions of the clasp in order to associate it with the strap and whenso associated these hooks are released and the resilient arms allowed tospring into engagement with the strap.

1 claim:

1. In a device of the character described for use with rifle strapshaving sect-ions formed at one end in a loop adapted to embrace the armof the user, a frame including a plate having an end portionconstituting a jaw adapted for engagement with a section of the strapand side flanges extending from said plate and embracing the strap. saidside flanges being provided with alined bearings, a pivot pin having itsends reintense ceived in said bearings and constituting a fulcrum forthe plate, a coacting plate having pair of ears provided with alinedapertures j ournaled upon the pivot pin, said plates having a roughenedportion constituting a jaw adapted for engagement with a section of thestrap, said pivot pin being arranged with respect to said plate todefine in each of said plates a short lever arm and a long lever arm,the short lever arm being the roughened end portions which constitutethe jaws, and curved lips carried by the long lever arms of the platesand adapted to be engaged by the sections of the strap which constitutethe loop to automatically throw the jaws into powerful grippingengagement with the sections of the strap. 1

2. In a device of the character described, a frame including a platehavingaroughened end portion constituting a jaw, and side flangesextending from said plate and provided with alined bearings, a pivot pinhaving its ends arranged in said bearing and constituting a. fulcrum forsaid plate, a coacting plate arranged between the side flanges of saidframe and having a roughened end portion constituting a jaw" and havinga pair of apertured ears fulcrumed upon said pivot pin and curved lipscarried by said plates the ends opposite said jaws.

3. In a device of the character described, a frame including a plate,and side flanges, a pivot pin bearing in said flanges and con stitutinga. fulcrum for saidplate, a coacting plate arranged between the sideflanges and journaled on said pivot pin, the pivot pin constituting afulcrum for said plates and defining on said plates a long and a shortlever arm, the short lever arm of said plates constituting jaws, andcurved 'lips carried by the long lever arms of said plates.

4-. In a device of the character described, coacting plates, a fulcrumtherefor defining on each plate a long and a short lever arm, the shortlever arms of the plates constituting coacting aws and curvedlipsca-rried by the long lever arms.

5. lln a device of the character described, in combination with a riflestrap including sections formed at one "end into a loop, a claspslidably arranged on said sections of the strap and adapted to define aloop and maintain it in proper position, said clasp including coactingplates, a fulcrum therefor defining on each plate, a long and a shortlever arm constituting jaws engageable with. the strap, and curved lipscarried by the long lever arms and operated upon by-the portions of thesections of the strap which constitute the loop tothrow the jaws of theclasp into powerful gripping engagement with the strap. v

6. In a device of the character described, in combination with a riflestrap including gagement with the strap.

sections, a clasp slidably mounted on the seo- 7. In a devioe of thecharecter' ciescrihed, v I

tions of the rifle strap and including coacting the combination with arifle strap, 2, clasp I platesjhaving portions constituting jaws and Iincluding jaws engageable with the strap 10 curved lips carried by theplates and operand means under the control of the strap ated upon by thesections of the strap to forforcing-the jaws into powerful-grippingthrow the jaws into powerful gripping enengagement with" the strap;

DANIEL HOWE NEILLY? I v

